Michelle Obama usurps Hillary Clinton as America's most admired woman


Hillary Clinton is no longer the most admired woman in America. Now, it's Michelle Obama.
Gallup on Thursday released its annual survey asking Americans to name the living person they admire most. Former first lady Michelle Obama topped the list this year, with 15 percent of respondents selecting her. This is the first time in 17 years Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and presidential candidate, has not been the most admired woman in the poll. This year, Clinton comes in third place, with four percent of respondents mentioning her. Rounding out the top five women are Oprah Winfrey in second place, first lady Melania Trump in fourth place, and Queen Elizabeth II in fifth place.
Other women who Americans admire include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, TV host Ellen DeGeneres, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, activist Malala Yousafzai, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
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Former President Barack Obama is the most admired man in America in this year's poll, with 19 percent of respondents naming him. This is the 11th year in a row he has topped the list, and if he does so again in 2019, he'll tie with Dwight D. Eisenhower for most times being named America's most admired man. In second place is President Trump, who was named by 13 percent of respondents, followed by former President George W. Bush, Pope Francis, and Bill Gates.
The poll was conducted by speaking to 1,025 U.S. adults over the phone from Dec. 3-12. Read the full results at Gallup.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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